Abduction in broad daylight

It all happened too fast - the abduction and release of Mr. Abu Bakar Siddique, husband of Ramon Magsaysay Award-winner Syeda Rizwana Hasan who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (BELA). His kidnapping from a busy highway in broad daylight last Thursday noon sent shockwaves across the country. After a tormenting wait for nearly 33 hours, his captors, however, released him Friday night unhurt, leaving behind a lot of questions about their motive and identities. Mr. Siddique's family is extremely happy getting him back. But a sense of insecurity has gripped them and they admitted it at a crowded press conference held on the same day.
In fact, many people tend to consider Mr. Siddique quite lucky for most people abducted in recent times are either found dead or continue to remain missing for years together. The families of missing individuals do not have any other option but to keep on hoping that someday their near and dear ones would return among them. But others feel that the worst could have happened to the untraced victims of abduction. The agonies and sufferings of the families of the victims of abduction can hardly be felt by others. It becomes hard for them to carry on with normal day-to-activities.
The cases of abduction and missing persons, including political elements, lying unearthed for a long time have gone up during the last few years. Statistics maintained by a number of human rights groups or organisations do point to the ongoing trend and the law enforcing agencies also have not contested the figures in public. The failure to locate a missing opposition leader for the last two years has caused erosion in the credibility and image of the law enforcing agencies. There are many other cases where the official investigating agencies have failed to trace the abducted/missing persons.
Unfortunately, involvement of a section of law enforcers in the abduction of some individuals has been alleged from time to times. These are mere allegations that remain unsubstantiated. Yet failure to solve cases concerning abduction and missing persons creates confusion and a sense of insecurity among the citizens, particularly those who raise voice against irregularities and injustice in many areas of society.
The media coverage and reaction of the civil society and other prominent personalities following the abduction of Mr. Siddique might have created a psychological pressure that the abductors concerned could not withstand and, therefore, released the victim. But not all such victims enjoy such privilege. So, only determined efforts on the part of the law enforcers, supported by the political leadership at the helm of the statecraft, can help control the criminal activities such as abduction and killings. Everyone does need to keep in mind that the sense of insecurity among the citizens does not only affect social tranquillity but also hurt the economic growth prospects of a country. No nation that aspires to make a giant step forward, economically, can afford such an unsavoury development.